This invention relates generally to gravure proofing and correction and more particularly to a simple trial proof-printing method for use in the proofing and correction of gravure printing.
In the printing of printed matter, ordinarily, it is the common practice to carry out beforehand trial proofing of the printed matter; that is, making a trial impression, for the purpose of enabling the customer or the person in charge of the printing to determine whether or not the printed matter desired by the customer will be properly produced. This is generally referred to as "proofing" "proving", or "proofing and correcting", but the number of trial impressions or proofs is very small, being of the order of a few sheets to ten and a number of sheets. This trial proofing is carried out for correcting errors of the printing plate surface, unsightly appearance, nonuniformity, and coloring. Accordingly, it must be assumed, as a premise, that a printing plate used for proofing will be corrected. Furthermore, if the proofing impression were to be different from the printed matter to be delivered to the customer, i.e., the main job impressions or the edition impressions, it would be meaningless as a proof, of course. On the other hand, from the object of proofing, it is not necessary that the proof be an impression which has been made as a result of exactly the same process and the same work as the edition impression. Accordingly, so-called proof presses for making proof impressions are being widely used.
However, in the case of gravure printing, differing from typographic printing and offset printing, the making of proofs cannot be easily carried out, and corrections during or after completion of the process of preparing the plate is difficult. For this reason, so-called blue printing or cyanotype, wherein a blue print is made from the gravure continuous-tone positive prior to the plate fabrication is substituted for proofing. While it is possible with blue-print proofing to examine the dimensions and layout of the image or characters and the like, the photographic gradation, and other features after the plate preparation, the tonal effect in the case of color gravure cannot be examined. Consequently, in such a case, it has been disadvantageously necessary to print with the main printing press or with a proof press having a construction similar to that of the main press.